Deep Thought

[AMom2010]

OK, it just dawned on me that if my celiac panel comes back positive I can't EVER have a warm, chewy roll just out of the oven, a slice of bread, donut, or ooey, gooey cinnamon roll again. Wow. I know they can all be made gluten free, but they won't be they way I remember.

I have a question for those of you who were diagnosed as very young children and who have no memory of how those foods taste anyway. Let's say you accidentally ate a baked good with gluten, how did it taste? Was it gross b/c it was unfamiliar or did you want to keep eating more and more?

That might sound silly to some of you, I guess I just had a "deep thought", maybe it won't even make sense to most of you. I was just thinking that if my 14 month old is diagnosed too, she won't actually remember how gluten tastes and might actually prefer the taste of gluten-free if that is what she accustomed to, which would be a blessing for her. I always like to look for the silver lining

Let me just say that if I am diagnosed as having celiac disease, I would gladly give up all those yummy gluten treats in return for a longer, healthier life hands down!

[rosetapper23]

I know you might have trouble believing this....but, really, after five years of being gluten free, I cheated...and can tell you honestly how the gluteny food tasted. Yes, I admit it. I've now been seven years gluten free, but I do remember that day when I cheated and ate a couple of croissants (the large kind) and a pizza. I can honestly say that the foods did NOT taste the way I remembered and had a consistency that turned me off. Yes, you read that correctly. I guess it's possible that we lose our taste for gluten. At least, that was the case with me. After that, I never felt the inclination to eat anything that contained gluten. It just had a weird consistency and taste....and it definitely wasn't worth getting sick for. Blehhhh.....

[lizard00]

The only thing I am tempted by now is croissants, but only cause I haven't perfected them yet!

Seriously, I don't really remember what stuff tastes like anymore. And the little that I do-- ie croissants, I'd rather let live in perfection in my memory.

I remember when that realization hit me. It was like a smack in the face. Everything seemed great, I was feeling better, losing weight, blah blah blah... and then it hit me that there was no going back. It didn't last too long, thankfully!

[krystynycole]

I have to say I disagree with the others....one of my students came up to me who I have only hear literally 3 words said from him hold up a cookie and said Kristin eat cookie? I was so overjoyed to hear him speak a whole sentence on his own that I ate the cookie without thinking. Though I was sick for days, I admit it was delicious!! I actually wanted to eat another one, but restrained myself!!

On the other hand, I am not tempted to eat them that much because I have been without them for so long that it makes me feel so much better without them and I just have to think about how it makes me feel and that is enough to keep me away. I woke up Christmas morning puking in my bed...that was enough to stop me from eating gluten again!!

[love2travel]

Eating gluten does not make me feel sick (well, didn't - I've been gluten-free for five months now) so the temptation is always there. I would never, ever actually follow through with cheating it as I know of the damage that has been done internally but I truly do not think I will ever forget the tastes, textures and smells of gluten goods. Hopefully I'm wrong! My passion for food is incredibly strong - it could not possibly be more intense.

[Juliebove]

My daughter was diagnosed at age 6. Not with celiac but a food allergy. After a couple of years she had forgotten what wheat tasted like. I guess she is one of the lucky ones. Because I have diabetes I didn't keep a lot of bread in the house ever and we didn't eat a lot of pasta. So she wasn't used to having it at every meal.

Then about 4 years later she was retested to see if she outgrew any allergies. She did and has some new ones. But prior to the test the Dr. told her to eat little bites throughout the day because she needed the allergens in her system. We just went from store to store, trying samples. Mostly we were able to find everything she needed to eat. We did have to buy a few. She didn't outgrow the wheat allergy.

[tea-and-crumpets]

No, they won't be the way you remember, but I promise you, after a while you'll forget. You really will. I've been gluten free for ten months and I really enjoy the baked goods I make. The things I used to eat are slipping away. We humans have a way of adapting to the situation in front of us! And, I'll tell you -- Kinnikinnick donuts taste like regular gluten-y ones. I don't know how they do it, but they do.

I'm sure part of this is just fear of changing to the new diet. I felt that way, too. But you can do it! I felt so much better after just a couple of days that I have never considered going back.

[love2travel]

  On 7/8/2011 at 12:21 PM, tea_and_crumpets said:

No, they won't be the way you remember, but I promise you, after a while you'll forget. You really will. I've been gluten free for ten months and I really enjoy the baked goods I make. The things I used to eat are slipping away. We humans have a way of adapting to the situation in front of us! And, I'll tell you -- Kinnikinnick donuts taste like regular gluten-y ones. I don't know how they do it, but they do.

I'm sure part of this is just fear of changing to the new diet. I felt that way, too. But you can do it! I felt so much better after just a couple of days that I have never considered going back.

I, too, love much of the gluten-free baking I make but am still trying to nail down good croissants, eclairs, English muffins, fresh pasta and of course fab bread.

Am I weird? I've tried the Kinnikinnick doughnuts and was incredibly disappointed but then I was used to the puffy yeast doughnuts as opposed to the cake doughnuts. Perhaps it is a regional/national thing. But then I dislike all their products including their cardboardish pizza crusts when you can make them sooooo much better. I just refuse to settle for second best!

I long for a soft plump yeast doughnut! And I have to disagree that after awhile I will forget. When baking/cooking is your life it is a very difficult thing to forget, unfortunately. No offense or anything - just an opinion from someone whose passion is food. It would be like taking away someone's passion for books or gardening - it is always with you.

[krystynycole]

  On 7/8/2011 at 1:50 PM, love2travel said:

I, too, love much of the gluten-free baking I make but am still trying to nail down good croissants, eclairs, English muffins, fresh pasta and of course fab bread.

Am I weird? I've tried the Kinnikinnick doughnuts and was incredibly disappointed but then I was used to the puffy yeast doughnuts as opposed to the cake doughnuts. Perhaps it is a regional/national thing. But then I dislike all their products including their cardboardish pizza crusts when you can make them sooooo much better. I just refuse to settle for second best!

I long for a soft plump yeast doughnut! And I have to disagree that after awhile I will forget. When baking/cooking is your life it is a very difficult thing to forget, unfortunately. No offense or anything - just an opinion of someone whose passion is food.

I totally agree!

[ndw3363]

I want real NY style pizza so bad - and I've been craving it since the second I found out I couldn't have it anymore (which was almost 5 months ago). I've tried various gluten-free pizza crusts and it's just not the same - and it's not worth the heavy feeling I get after eating carbs to eat anything but the real thing. But I recently (last night) found something that makes it all ok. Against the Grain baguettes!!! Dipped in some olive oil with spices (like they do in Italian restaurants) and it was heaven...seriously. I normally don't buy anything that isn't naturally gluten-free, but these were on sale and I've read such good reviews. I actually like them too much - my body hates carbs of any kind, but I still crave them all the time. Time to rush home and have some for an appetizer!! Happy Friday everyone! :-)

[anabananakins]

I try not to think about that "never, never" but it is kind of a weird feeling when I do. The finality of it is hard to get your head around! But after 13 months, it no longer has such a big impact. I think for me it was finding store bought gluten free hot cross buns that made me realise everything was going to be ok! Man, I ate so many of them this easter (they were super pricey before easter but I stocked up when they were reduced to clear afterwards).

I'd be scared I'd like the taste if I tried it again. I can't ever risk it. This was hard enough to do once, I'm not going to mess up what I've gained.

[LMichelle1980]

I've been diagnosed about eight months so I'm still trying to get used to living gluten free and have had a number of slip ups. I will say that I, on purpose, tried a muffin last month because I thought I missed it sooooo bad. Besides the horrible side effects I suffered (I knew better!!!), I was terribly dissapointed because the taste was not that which I remembered. I could almost feel the denseness of the white flour, like it left something behind in my mouth. I'll admit, the texture was better than most of the grainy baked products but the taste was not what I remember and the headaches, tummy aches, rashes and bloating was not worth it.

[AMom2010]

Ya'll are too funny! I guess I will just have to take it one day at a time and celebrate small everyday victories rather than constantly reminding myself I can NEVER eat ____ again.

I really enjoy cake decorating as a hobby, so at least I will be able to make great looking gluten-free cakes/cupcakes for my daughter to take to birthday parties. Have to focus on the positive

[T.H.]

  On 7/10/2011 at 2:36 PM, AMom2010 said:

Ya'll are too funny! I guess I will just have to take it one day at a time and celebrate small everyday victories rather than constantly reminding myself I can NEVER eat ____ again.... Have to focus on the positive

Yeah, that's definitely what seems to help a lot of us - remember how good we'll feel NOT eating breads and grains again.

I'm 2 years into the diet now. I honestly don't know if I remember what bread tastes like. I have a memory in my head, of course, but after the first year or so, with no cheating, it's kind of faded to this half-remembered 'maybe' of a taste. Baklava and brownies - those were my weaknesses. God, I would kill for a good tasting baklava, still. But I've no idea if what I'm remembering is even real, you know?

But the good news for me, at least, is that my body is really determined that I do not eat gluten.

A very few times since being diagnosed, I've been in an area that had fresh baked cakes or bread. The smell hit my nose and my first reaction in those early days was the same one I've always had: I enjoyed the smell.

The second reaction was this horrific wave of nausea that literally had me throwing up in my mouth a little and it wouldn't let up until I couldn't smell it anymore. It was awful. Happened again the next time I ran into the smell, and again the next time.

Really surprised me, because at the time, I would never have thought that the SMELL of bread would be a bad thing, you know?

Turns out, my body disagrees. It hates me smelling bread or being near flour in the air (grumpy gus that it is).

Although man, nothing will turn ya off a food faster than having the smell nauseate you. I don't even want to KNOW what the taste would do!

However, my son went gluten free at age 7, and he had a gluten trial 1 year later. He loved it. Ate like a pig, enjoyed every tiny crumb of it, no comments on weird tastes, which knowing him, I would have gotten, LOL. He still reacted with tummy issues, so he had to go back off, but he definitely misses it, still.